Sree Narayana Guru's Concept of Marriage

Sree Narayana Guru’s Concept of Marriage

Dr.Sreekumar Sreedharan, former Associate Professor, Kerala Agricultural University, India, presently works as a Consultant and lives in Canada. 25.08.08

It is reported that Mukesh Ambani, the fifth richest man in the world is in the process of constructing the most expensive residential complex in the world, costing one billion US dollars (Rs.four thousand crores). This is the “Antilla”, twenty seven floors in downtown Mumbai, (550 feet tall, similar to a sixty storey building) 400,000 square feet and when completed will require 600 staffers to work full time for maintaining the facilities. Lakshmi Mittal, the London based Indian steel magnate, the fourth richest man in the world, recently is reported to have spent US$55 million (Rs.220 crores), to celebrate his daughter’s marriage at the Versailles palace and the celebrations were spread over six days. Subrata Roy of Sahara Group celebrated the wedding of his two sons in Lucknow, India, with 11,000 guests. Opulent marriages and extravagant spending have become fashionable and the order of the day. This trend unfortunately, has also penetrated into every segment of the Kerala society. This is an indication of the increase in consumerism and materialism, driven by the idea “I want my daughter’s / son’s wedding celebrations to be bigger and better than that of my neighbour’s daughter or son’s wedding”. The idea is that you win only if your daughter’s wedding is grander than your neighbour’s, i.e. to keep up with the Jones’, as they say in the US. This extravagance is already a vicious circle causing serious social problems.

The wedding industry in Kerala is reported to be growing at 25% annually, whereas the actual manufacturing industry is in decline. All across the state the marriage industry is flourishing through the mushrooming marriage halls that are growing not only in cities but also in the rural areas (rent is between Rs. One and two lakhs per day), jewellery and textile shops (cost of a wedding saree could be as high as Rs. two lakhs), catering centers providing multiple cuisine, interior decorators, videographers, etc. The minimum budget for a wedding ceremony in N.America is around US$26,000/-, while in India, it is reported to be US$34,000/-. No wonder Keralites spend three times more on their wedding expenses, than what the state government spends on health care. I have seen upper middle class and middle class families spending between Rs.10 lakhs and Rs.15 lakhs for their daughter’s marriage. It is interesting to analyse the various components of marriage expenses. ‘Dowry” is the most expensive component – which is given as gold and cash. The more gold jewellery the bride displays, the higher the prestige for the family. Oddly, the bride gets literally weighed down by the weight of the gold, which could be as high as 500 sovereigns. One can only imagine the physical discomfort of the bride who has to wear these heavy jewellery for several hours, and the relief when she is able to finally remove them at the end of a long day. These days the groom’s family even demands a house / apartment, a car and even household appliances such as TV, fridge, stove, etc., which are part of the dowry.

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Then there are expenses for the wedding dress not only for the bride but also for the relatives on both sides, which sometimes even include jewellery for the family members. One must also take into account the substantial expenses for the mandap decorations and food. The families also have to bear the post marriage expenses for the reception, honeymoon, etc. Besides the obvious, there are also several hidden expenses. For e.g., the expenses relating to illuminating the houses and even in the event of a power outage, the illumination is still expected to continue with hired generators. The downside is that the parents should have deep pockets. In the west, usually the bride and the groom will pool their resources together to meet the marriage expenses and in some cases, the parents contribute whatever they can afford. In India, even in the case of a wealthy person, after the marriage of three or four daughters with this level of expenditure, it is bound to make a dent in his networth. One can only imagine the fate of parents who are forced to borrow, to meet these unnecessary expenses, which will eventually force them into financial ruin and bankruptcy. These symptoms are already appearing in our society - these deeper malaise manifest in family suicides, when the celebrations are finally over.

To understand the magnitude and gravity of this problem, we need to look at three communities in Kerala, i.e.muslims, ezhavas and nairs. The muslims traditionally always gave dowry to the bride which is called the ‘Mehr’. This is the amount a husband promises to pay the wife, which is the opposite of dowry, which is prohibited in Islam. The Quran admonishes the faithful as : “Since you have sought marital enjoyment with your wives, give them their marriage portions as stipulated (Mehr). Seek them in marriage with gifts from your property, desiring chastity, not lust. Live with them on a footing of kindness and equity.” Even when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) married Khadija, his uncle Hamza gave the Prophet (PBUH) camels and goats as ‘dowry’, as the Prophet (PBUH) could not afford the ‘Mehr’. The Arabs still continue this tradition. In the oil rich Gulf states today, the government has set aside special marriage funds to help eligible arab boys to get married, when they are unable to come up with the ‘Mehr’. Unfortunately, in Kerala there appears to be a reversal of this tradition amongst some muslim communities, where the parents of the bride are expected to bear a lot of marriage expenditures including dowry. This is no different amongst the Hindu communities, of the ezhavas and nairs, who never offered or accepted dowry in the past. These days if the boy is a doctor (specialized), IIT engineer with an MBA, or an IAS officer, etc., they demand more gold and cash as dowry, according to their status, fully aware of the fact that it is illegal to ask for or receive dowry, which is an indictable offence. Recognizing this social evil, the government is reported to be in the process of not only introducing a law to limit marriage expenses but also to limit the number of guests invited. It is shameful that the government has to contemplate introducing luxury tax on marriage expenditure, in order to discourage the extravagance.

Kerala has always boasted of having the highest literacy rate in India. Yet, the education and knowledge do not appear to have helped them conduct marriage ceremonies in a rational manner. In my opinion, there should be a radical shift in our thinking about the purpose of marriage. Opulent and extravagant marriage celebrations are only to satisfy one’s ego, as when there are 11,000 guests for a marriage. Why does it have to be a social
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display? Instead, it should be an occasion for close relatives and friends, who really mean well for the couple and family. It will be worthwhile for us to look into the insight of Sree Narayana Guru’s vision on weddings more than a century ago and learn from his wisdom. Sree Narayana Guru believed that the prospective bride and groom should be given an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas before finalizing an arranged marriage (this is not necessary in the case of love marriages). He suggested public places such as temples, prayer halls and community centers for such meetings. It is the duty of the parents of the bride and the bridegroom to arrange for such meetings. The practical Guru suggested that this meeting should be held at least thirty days before fixing any arranged marriage. He advocated a gap of fifteen days between the first meeting and the engagement and another fifteen days for the actual marriage to take place. This arrangement will give ample time for the young couple to introspect and think over, as they have to spend a whole life time together. This would give them an opportunity to call off the engagement or marriage, should they have second thoughts. At present, the ‘pennu kannal chadangu’ (seeing the bride for the first time) is usually held at the bride’s residence, in the presence of both family members. Usually the boy and the girl come under pressure to say either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ immediately afterwards. Instead of this, a meeting should be arranged at a public place without the relatives, so that the young couple can communicate freely in order to help them decide, as suggested by the Guru.

In my opinion, the boy and the girl should ideally meet several times and be given six months time before the engagement and another six months time after the engagement, which gives both parties ample time to get to know one another, in our present complex society. Guru wanted marriages to be held only in designated public places, where there is a facility to record marriages in appropriate legal registers. When it comes to the number of persons attending the wedding, his views were truly radical. He limited the number of people attending a wedding to ten. These ten persons are the bride and groom, their parents, one friend each of the bride and groom, a priest and a community leader. Many of us may disagree with this limited number of ten persons. Our population has grown and the society is transformed. We live in a worldwide web and the situation is not the same as in Guru’s days in the late 1800’s. It is my opinion that a guest list between 200 and 400 persons would be more appropriate for the present day, i.e. about 100 to 200 persons from each family would be in line with the sprit and teachings of Guru.

Guru encouraged a modest marriage ceremony. The priest is to hand over the ‘thali’ and garlands after saying a simple prayer seeking the blessings of God. Those who are present are asked to bless the couple. The Guru’s concept of the marriage ceremony is probably the simplest wedding anyone could conduc,t both in spirit and objective. Many of the wealthy parents do desire to spend a lot of money for the wedding celebrations, especially in the case of a single daughter. Recognizing this wish of the parents, Guru gave a practical suggestion to deposit the amount in the bank that they would have otherwise spent on the marriage expenses and give this bank receipt as a gift to the newly weds. He believed that this will help the couple’s future financial needs and also of the grandchildren. Modern financial management experts have concluded that almost everyone regardless of their wealth is likely to undergo a major financial crises at least

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once in their lifetime. It is therefore prudent to follow the Guru’s advice asking us to think twice before indulging in extravagance. He reminds us that the consequences of
unwise spending will be unpleasant, especially for families with limited resources. This is most relevant to the population of Kerala, regardless of caste, creed and religious beliefs, as this marriage industry is spreading its tentacles across every community. Dayananda Saraswathy of Arya Samaj initiated a very simple marriage ceremony along the lines suggested by Guru. The hindu Punjabis who are followers of the Arya Samaj, do not appear to heed the advise of Dayananda Saraswathy. They indulge in lavish weddings and demand a hefty dowry, as the present day ezhavas / thiyyas, who are the followers of Sree Narayana Guru.

The Guru had expressed his views on a wide range of topics to his followers and Atmananda Swamigal, one of his disciples compiled these into a reference book ‘Sree Narayana Dharmam’ in which Guru compared giving and receiving dowry as a shameful act and considered it no different from a commercial transaction. He had strong views on the dowry system and reminded his followers that this is equivalent to buying and selling your own children. Another practical instruction from the Guru was that he wanted the couple to undergo a medical examination prior to fixing the marriage, especially for the boys. He had in depth knowledge of ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine) and was also a renowned physician. He was aware of the fact that men could have more complications from sexual dysfunction than women, especially the risks of abnormal sperms, total count, impotency etc., leading to sterility. Indirectly he was encouraging the parents to produce clean medical health reports to be exchanged, instead of horoscopes. Unfortunately, these days almost everyone is concentrating on horoscopes and pay no attention to the medical facts. Another admonition from the Guru was, that those persons with mental illness, communicable and hereditary diseases, should never get married. He referred specifically to leprosy, which was prevalent during his time and in our present day, we have to be cautious about Aids and sexually transmitted diseases.

There should be a fundamental change in our thinking and attitude and let me conclude by narrating the practice of a ‘wine ceremony’ in the Nigerian society. The groom has to practically fight his way, elbowing and pushing through the relatives of the bride to reach the bride. The relatives of the bride pretend that he is not good enough and makes it difficult for the groom to reach the bride. Finally, when he is able to reach the bride, he has to go down on his knees and beg her to let him marry her. This should be the new paradigm shift in attitude for prospective grooms to recognize the true value of women and marriage. Let the parents draw inspiration from the Guru’s vision on marriage expenses ‘Be Wise – Alleviate Financial Distress’.


The author gratefully acknowledges the suggestions of Dr.T.Bhaskaran and thank my wife Sakhina, who has proof-read and typed this article.

The Four Extraordinary Temples Consecrated by Sree Narayana Guru

Dr.Sreekumar Sreedharan (formerly Associate Professor, Kerala Agricultural University.) Presently works as Consultant and lives in Canada.

My family and I have been living abroad for the past several years. I was not fortunate while in India and abroad, to read and understand the life and teachings of Narayana Guru. However, during my recent visit to India, I was able to read different biographies of the Guru, his philosophy and teachings. The Guru was not only a saint and a prophet, but was also a social reformer and a blessed divine poet extraordinary. Several of his writings, especially the three poems with one hundred verses, need explanatory notes and guidance, to comprehend the spiritual meaning[1]. Perhaps this may be one of the reasons why large sections of society are unable to fully understand his spiritual teachings.

The Guru and his disciples during their lifetime, had consecrated about one hundred temples throughout South India and Sri Lanka[2]. However, during the six years from 1921 to 1927, the Guru consecrated four extraordinary temples. He was far ahead of his time in thinking and vision, which are evident when we look at these four temples and the deities that the Guru installed. Therefore, I decided to visit all of them and this article briefly enumerates the background and the Guru’s philosophy behind consecrating these temples.

Sree Chithambaram Temple (Lamp Temple / Vilakku Ambalam[3])
This temple is located in Karamukku, near Kanjani, 30 minutes drive from downtown Trichur. The Guru opened this temple, which is popularly known as the Vilakku Ambalam, to the public on 15th May 1921. The vast majority of the population in the area in 1921 were illiterate and poor, belonging to the backward communities, many of whom were Ezhavas. One of the landlords built a temple and requested the Guru to consecrate the idol. The Guru agreed to do this, provided the temple will not be a family, private temple, instead should be donated to the community, to which the landlord agreed. When the Guru arrived, he found that the landlord had brought several idols from Tamilnadu, which resembled rakshasas (demons). Therefore, the Guru did not install any of them. Instead, he asked for an oil lamp with three branches. He lit them and installed this lamp as the idol. Then with a smiling face the Guru said to everyone present there, “Let this light shine and spread everywhere”. The Guru, during his lifetime pointed out that light is education and knowledge and he compared light to Goddess Lakshmi. He always reminded his followers that it is darkness that trouble mankind all the time, meaning the darkness due to lack of knowledge and education. Whenever light enters, darkness disappears and we are able to see everything vividly. Allegorically, he was trying to convey the idea that with education and knowledge, ones life will brighten through material and spiritual prosperity. He strongly believed that the objective of a temple[4] is to brighten our lives by removing ignorance[5]. Today it is gratifying to know that the followers of the Guru at this temple accepted his teachings and established schools within the temple premises. Today, these schools have grown into large institutions and claim to have the highest number of students amongst all the schools in Trichur district, numbering ten thousand. This is again complementary to one of his maxims “Liberate yourselves through education and knowledge”

Kalakandheswara Temple.
This temple is located in Murukkumpuzha, near Trivandrum and the Guru opened this to the public on the 22nd December 1921, i.e. more than seven months after the installation of the Vilakku Ambalam. The temple is located five minutes from the Murukkumpuzha town. Again, this temple has a unique message for all mankind. The community requested the Guru to consecrate a temple, built by the leaders. The Guru arrived with his disciples. The community welcomed the Guru wholeheartedly and treated him with respect. However, a part of the community did not extend the same courtesy and respect to his disciples[6]. The Guru was unhappy about this treatment meted out to his followers. He found that the community had two different attitudes to him and to his deciples. At the appointed time for consecrating the idol, the Guru declined to install the idol. Instead, he asked to inscribe the word “OM” in the center of a brass plate and then add the words “Sathyam”(truth), “Dharmam” (righteousness), “Daya”(compassion) and “Shanthi”(peace). When this was ready, he installed this as the idol. He explained that these are the synonyms of God and has a logical sequence. When we are truthful and live a righteous life, fulfilling our duties with compassion, then these will automatically lead us to the fourth divine quality, which is inner peace, which we all strive to achieve in life.

The Guru was trying to convey the idea that, when we pray we should ask for these four divine qualities to be instilled in us. He gave far greater value for the spiritual qualities that we should attain, instead of concentrating on hollow prayers, pilgrimage and various rituals[7]. The Guru, however, in his compassion, later installed the idol of Shiva for the devotees, which can be seen today, next to the brass plate.

Today, not only in the affluent west, but in all communities in general, people are spiritually poor and unable to find peace of mind in the midst of material wealth, as they are driven by greed. Therefore, this may be the most relevant message that we should accept and follow, to achieve these divine qualities and inner peace.
This again is not different from his maxim, ‘regardless of your religious beliefs, the most important matter is for people to become better human beings.’

Ardhanareeswara Temple – popularly known as Shaktheeswaram Temple (Mirror Idol)
This is located near Sherthallai (Alleppey district), three kilometers from the railway station and is the first temple where a mirror was installed, as an idol. This is commonly referred to as the “Kannadi Prathishta” i.e. mirror idol and the Guru consecrated this temple on June 14th, 1927, about five and a half years, after the Murukkumpuzha Temple. Recently, this temple has undergone extensive renovation.

The local community built the temple and wished to install the idol of Ardhanareeswaran (half Shiva and half Parvathy in one idol) to which The Guru agreed. However, at that time there was a youth movement gaining momentum against idol worship[8]. The older generation, who had organized the function was naturally in favor of idol worship. Thus, the community was divided into two groups and tension began to build up by the time the Guru arrived to install the deity. The situation became explosive and tense, when the leader of the older generation threatened to self immolate if the Guru did not install the idol as originally planned. Both groups represented their points of view and waited for the Guru’s response. The Guru then asked one of his devotees to bring a mirror, which was cut to size according to his instructions and the word “OM” was inscribed[9] on it. The Guru then consecrated this mirror as the idol. The popular belief is that, whoever looks into the mirror can see his or her reflection, which implies that we can see God in our own image[10]. This concept was further reinforced when the Guru is reported to have said after the installation, “Aham brahmasmi” and “Thathwam Asi”, which are the two great maxims of the Hindu faith (Adhvaita Philosophy), meaning “I am God” and “You are God” respectively.
However, I was unable to see my reflection in the mirror as the mirror is installed at a higher level. Besides, even if the mirror were kept at a lower level, we would have seen only part of our image because of the inscription, which covers approximately one half of the mirror. The logical explanation in my view is, that the Guru wanted to convey the idea that God can be worshipped in any form, especially when the letter “OM” represents the omnipresence of God and according to Hindu scriptures, it has a thousand meanings. This idea is reconfirmed when we see the next temple that the Guru established.

This incident gives us an insight of the Guru’s concept of God and also his negotiation skills, in a difficult situation. This is comparable to what prophet Muhammad[11] (PBUH) achieved when he was asked to resolve a dispute amongst the four chieftains of his tribe, each of whom were claiming the right to install the black stone inside the Kaaba[12] in Mecca. The Prophet then brought a square cloth and placed the stone in the center. He then asked the chieftains to hold one corner each and place the stone inside the Kaaba, thus resolving their dispute amicably. Similarly, the Guru, after installing the mirror, gave permission to his disciple Bodhananda Swamy to consecrate the idol of Ardhanareeswaran, thus satisfying the spiritual needs of both groups.




Omkareswara Temple – Mirror Idol
This is near Vaikkom in Thalayazham Panchayat. There is also a convenient access by road to this location from Kalavamkodam temple, which takes approximately thirty minutes. This temple was consecrated eleven days after installing the mirror idol in Kalavamkodam i.e.on 25th June 1927. In fact, this is the last temple anointed by the Guru, for he passed away (samadhi) fifteen months after the installation of this idol.

During this period there was severe drought in the area and small brooks and ponds dried up, except a large pond in one of the temples. The backward communities were not allowed to enter this temple premises by the upper castes. One night seven youths from the Ezhava community secretly bathed in the temple pond and one of them accidentally found a bronze idol while diving. They kept this hidden in a wooden box, where traditionally rice is stored and secretly decided to request the Guru to install this idol in the temple that was built. When they went to see the Guru to request him to install the idol, the Guru told them that he would not install the hidden idol. They were speechless, as they had not informed the Guru about the hidden idol. The Guru told them that he had a different idol in his mind and would install this if they agreed. The representatives were only very happy to consent.

The Guru gave instructions to prepare a mirror according to specific measurements, which was mounted on a wooden frame with the Sanskrit inscription of the word “OM”, unlike the Malayalam one in Kalavamkodam. He specifically named the temple ‘Omkareswaram’, which means the temple with ‘Omkaram’ as God . Again, here the Guru broke tradition and showed everyone that God can be worshipped in any form[13]. It is believed that the mirror was used because it is always considered as a ‘mascot’ and also associated with divinity. In Kerala during Vishu[14], a mirror is kept as one of the items for worship. Again, in this mirror the inscription of “OM” is large and is also protected by another glass sheet. From the manner in which the mirror idol is placed, it is evident that the devotee is unable to see his or her reflection in the mirror. Thus, it is once again a reconfirmation that the Guru was conveying the idea that we can worship God in any form.

At the temple in Karamukku (lamp), the Guru is reported to have quoted from the ‘Bhagavad-Gita’. When Arjuna asked Krishna where he could see Him in the universe, Krishna pointed to burning amber and mentioned that He is present even in the glow of the burning amber. Thus the light in the lamp not only symbolizes education and learning but also the presence of God. This shows the omnipresence of God in all animate and inanimate objects. The relevance of the Guru’s teachings can be seen in these four unconventional idols, installed during the dark periods of the caste apartheid society in Kerala. His teachings are not only relevant for the ten million diaspora of Ezhavas but also for all humanity. Perhaps this is more relevant today, as the world community is divided on racial prejudices.

I had difficulty in taking pictures of all the idols as the pujaris believe that this would diminish the power of the idols !! (The flash light of the camera, they believe, would reduce the power of the idol). Besides, I was also asked to remove my shirt before entering the temple. I remember that in the past, the Guru’s temples used to be progressive and photography was freely permitted, and also the devotees were not asked to remove their shirts. It saddens me to find more Brahmin priests with the holy thread, in our temples these days. It is my belief that if the Guru were alive today, he would have been unhappy about these changes, which take us backwards and undo what the Guru achieved. There is an anecdotal narration of an incident in Guru’s life which is most appropriate to these present changes. The Guru consecrated a temple in a small community and after the installation of the deity; there was a discussion as to who would perform the puja on a daily basis. One of the devotees suggested that he can ask a Brahmin priest who lived nearby to do this. Guru then commented “If we do this, then we are not only going to forego all that we have achieved until now but we will also be going backwards”. Perhaps, is time we ask ourselves whether we are now truly moving away from the Guru’s teachings?!.

Acknowledgement:-

The author owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. K C Prakasan for providing reading materials, and Dr. T Bhaskaran for his valuable suggestions. Finally to my dear wife Sakhina who not only accompanied me to all these temples but also proofread and typed the article.

Note: The photographs are in a separate folder. You may edit each picture appropriately highlighting the relevant part for example – the mirror idol while editing the readers should be able to see ‘OM’ and ‘Shanti’ conspicuously.

[1] The Guru has written about 70 poems and prose, both large and small. They range from 1 to 19 verses, with the exception of three with 100 verses. These three are ‘Shiva Shathakam’, ‘Darshana Mala’, and ‘Athmopadesha Shathakam’. Twenty of his various writings are in Sanskrit, two in Tamil and the rest in Malayalam. The Guru during his life time recited most of the poems from his memory which were written down by his disciples. Although several of his poems like ‘Athmopadesha Shathakam’ and ‘Daiva Shathakam’ were made available earlier, the first compiled/collected works of the Guru numbering 44 poems were first published in 1941 by Kumaraswami Sanyasi.


[2] One each in Tamil Nadu (Nagarcoil), Karnataka (Mangalore) and Sri Lanka (Colombo) and the rest in Kerala


[3] Within the local community, the temple is known as “Samajam Temple”, as it is managed by Sree Narayana Gupta Samajam (SNGS). However, in other parts of Kerala and historically also, this temple is referred to as the Vilakku Ambalam, as the deity is an oil lamp.

[4] When people visit temples they have to cleanse themselves and wear clean clothes. Inside the temple usually people have virtuous thoughts. The Guru was aware of the fact that regular visits to the temple will ultimately cleanse a person both physically and mentally. He had the vision to realize that this was the best way to eradicate the evil of caste apartheid, as according to him no one would have the moral courage to practice untouchability when the other person has physical cleanliness. (Good thoughts lead to good speech, good speech leads to good actions, good actions will lead to good behavior and good behavior is the basis for good character) He insisted that the temple premises be kept tidy and clean and encouraged the community to assemble and discuss common problems. His obsession with cleanliness is legendary and he also had the vision to start libraries and schools as an extension of the temple.


[5] Saraswathy is associated with learning and knowledge and Lakshmi is associated with wealth and prosperity. The Guru believed that wealth and prosperity are essential to facilitate education and education will ultimately benefit the community. He is believed to have reiterated this while giving Rs. 100/- to Sahodaran Ayyappan to support his education.

[6] SNDS (Dharma Sangham) was established many years later in 1928 with twelve disciples, including Swamy Ernest Kirk, who was his first European disciple. Nataraja Guru, who is in the group photo, taken immediately after signing the Constitution, however did not sign the agreement. Nataraja Guru established the “Gurukulam” as a separate entity eight years earlier in 1923 in Fernhill, near Ooty on a plot of land donated by a friend, in association with Bodhananda Swamy. This had a modest beginning in a shed covered with a tin roof.

[7] He had little regard for pujaris and believed that they had no proper knowledge of the scriptures. He asked his devotees not to spend money even on rituals associated with death in the family. Instead, he asked them to pray for 10 days for the departed soul and to donate the money for charity, that they would have otherwise spent for the feast and other rituals. He believed this would be more beneficial for the departed soul.

[8] Hinduism is a mono-theist religion, i.e. belief in one God as the supreme creator. The several gods worshipped in Hinduism are symbolic representations of this one God, i.e. ‘Parabrahmam’, who is omnipotent and omnipresent, has neither beginning nor end and is unseen. We in our ignorance have given a form, as in an idol for the convenience of our imagination. Therefore, the first Hindu prayer is to ask for forgiveness for providing a form to God Almighty. The temple at Oachira in Central Kerala is perhaps one of the few temples where there is no idol, instead there is an large banyan tree representing ‘Parabrahmam’.

[9] This was done by scraping the mercury from behind the mirror. “OM” was inscribed in Malayalam but when this was brought, the Guru noticed that the middle letter was missing. Guru accepted this and said that this also has the same meaning. The word ‘Shanthi” (peace) is believed to have been added at a later stage.

[10] During my childhood, I remember my parents and uncles discussing the same explanation and I believe that this is probably the popular belief in the past and present.

[11] The Guru had the highest regard for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whom he considered to be the embodiment of compassion and virtue. It is evident that the Guru had profound understanding of the Prophet’s life and work, especially his compassion towards his opponents, who persecuted him during his lifetime. Guru called him “Karunavan Nabi Muthuratnam” (a brilliant diamond of compassion). Please see “Anukampa Dashakam”



[12] Mecca is the holiest place for the Muslims. Kaaba is the location where Prophet Abraham is believed to have agreed to sacrifice his son Ismail. Besides, the Muslims believe that this is the place where God first spoke to man. Muslims are required to visit the Kaaba, if they are able to, once in their lifetime, which is one of the five pillars of the faith.

[13] In 1888, the Guru installed an idol of Shiva at Aravipuram, near Trivandrum, which was a stone he took from the river bed. This revolutionary act broke the monopoly of the upper castes (Brahmins), who had reserved the right to install deities. In my opinion, this is the single most important act the Guru did to break the evil of caste apartheid.


[14] Vishu is the local celebration thanking the Lord for a plentiful harvest and for ensuing prosperity for the coming year. The previous night, the housewife keeps cereals, pulses, gold coins, fruits, cash and inter alia, a mirror in the puja room. The following morning these items should be seen first by the family members. Usually, they are asked to close their eyes and brought to the puja room for this purpose. There is fun and laughter in the family in anticipation of a prosperous new year.

The Parables of Jesus Christ and Sree Narayana Guru
Dr.Sreekumar Sreedharan (Formerly Associate Professor, Kerala Agricultural University) Presently works as Consultant and lives in Canada.( published in Darshanam 2007, Singapore.)

Parables are usually short stories told by prophets to convey a moral value or a spiritual truth. Many prophets all over the world, have given such narratives during different periods of history to enlighten their respective populations, so that they may lead a virtuous life. Perhaps one of the most famous is the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ by Jesus Christ. He had a brilliant way of narrating simple, short stories which convey thought provoking values to ordinary peasants, like those in Palestine where Jesus preached. The parable of the Good Samaritan is told when one of the priests (Jewish Rabbi) tried to trap Jesus by asking him a tricky question as to what the Rabbi must do to become immortal. Instead of answering, Jesus asks him to explain what the scriptures teach. The Rabbi correctly replies from the Torah (Jewish holy book), that when we are able to love our Lord / God with all our heart, our soul, our mind and with all our strength and love our neighbour as we would love ourselves – would give us eternal life. Yet, the Rabbi again tests Jesus by asking him “who is my neighbour”? This is when Jesus narrates the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The story is about a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he is attacked by bandits, leaving him on the street bleeding and half dead. After a while, a Rabbi happened to pass by the other side of the street. He looked at the wounded man and walked away (he was expected to render help, being a holy man) After a while, a Levite (a person from another neighbouring area, with whom Jews did not have a good relationship) happened to come by. He went across the street, looked at the wounded man and walked on. Then came a Samaritan (people of Samaria who were supposed to be hard hearted, whom the Jews despised) who looks at the wounded man and his heart is filled with pity. He dresses his wounds with olive oil and wine and takes him to an inn on his own animal and cares for him during the night. Next morning he gives a few silver coins to the inn keeper and asks him to take care of the man, with a promise to reimburse him for whatever more he incurs. The parable ends there and Jesus asks the Rabbi, who amongst the three men acted like a good neighbour. The Rabbi replies, that it was the man who showed compassion and Jesus asks him to do the same.

The moral value of this parable is what is known as “The Golden Rule of Morality” or the “Ethics of Reciprocity”. In fact, every religion in the world agree on this basic principle to guide human conduct and behaviour towards our fellow beings. All religions command their followers to treat others as you would like them to treat you. In other words, “Treat others as you want to be treated” is the basis on which every religion concur, although the wording may appear to be different.

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Given below are some of the maxims from the oldest living religions until present day modern religions (Few selected from 19 major religions) to illustrate this unanimity.

Hinduism - This is the sum of ‘Dharma’ (duty)
Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
Do not even utter a word that is hurtful to others (Mahabharat 5:1517)

Confucianism
Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you (Analects 15:23)

Taoism
Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own and your neighbour’s loss as your own (Tai Shang Kan)

Zoroastrianism
Do not do to others that is not good for yourself (Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29)

Buddhism
Do not hurt others in ways that is hurtful to you (Udana-Varga 5:18.)

Judaism
You should love your neighbour as you would love yourself (Leviticus 19:18)
What you hate, do not do to anyone (Tobit 4:15)

Christianity
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (Mathew 7:12)
As you would want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise (Luke 6:31)

Islam
None of you are truly believers until you wish for your brother what you wish for yourself (Number 13 of Imam “Al-Nawawi’s Forty Hadiths)

Native African Sprituality
Before you poke the little bird with a sharp stick, first try it on your own hand to feel how it hurts (Nigeria)

Native American Spirituality
All things are our relatives, what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really one (Black Elk). This is surprisingly similar to the Guru’s ‘Adhvaida’ philosophy.

Sikkism
Do not create enmity with any one as God is within everyone (259 Guru Granth Sahib)
No one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend (AG1299)

Bahai World Faith
Blessed is he who prefers his brother before himself (Bahaullah)

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Although every religion has commanded mankind to follow the golden rule of morality, none of them were able to explain the logical reason for this. Hinduism explains the reason and logic as this ‘”Other person’” is truly “I”, which means there is only “ONE” person, which is the basis of Guru’s ‘Adhvaida’ philosophy.

Many countries today have legislated the principle of the Good Samaritan known as “The Good Samaritan Law”. This is to encourage the citizens to help those who are in distress, without being penalized (charged with neglect, should something go wrong).This usually could happen, for example, when we help an accident victim by taking him to ER at the hospital and the victim dies. Subsequently, regardless of the reasons, the relatives charge the good samaritan with negligent homicide, when he acted in good faith with the sole intention to help. Canada, Belgium, France and Japan are some of the countries where the good Samaritan law is in force. Recently, in France this law was invoked to find out whether the journalists and the paparazzi had committed a crime, by not rendering assistance to Princess Diana after her fatal car accident in the tunnel in Paris. It is time that other countries also enacted a similar Good Samaritan Law to encourage the citizens to render assistance to those in distress

The parable of the Guru[1] relates to the manner in which we are expected to love our fellowmen and I have taken the liberty to call this “The Parable of Universal Love”, although this is explained allegorically. He explained by comparing this to the manner in which a slightly intoxicated Keralite would enjoy eating fish. We should bear in mind that the staple food in Kerala is fish and rice/tapioca (kasava) and the common man has a tendency to enjoy the local beer (fermented toddy) tapped from the coconut tree, with fish. This is especially true with the Ezhava / Thiya community who form the largest segment of the population. He is asking us to observe how such a person enjoys eating fish under the mild influence of alcohol. The person would first eat the meat completely and then lick the bone dry. After enjoying this, he would start chewing the bones and enjoy the gelatine. Last, he will enjoy eating the head completely, thus wasting no part of the fish. This conveys the message that we should also love our fellow men with the same diligence. First, by loving our immediate family members, then the extended family and gradually relatives and friends, then the community and finally everyone (including our [Page 4] enemies), thus encompassing all mankind. We are reminded not to exclude any one – which is “Universal Love”.

Buddha and Jesus are shining examples amongst the several great prophets who influenced human history. The reason being, they were able to go above the golden rule by teaching the concept of ‘Do good to your enemies and love those who despise or hate you’. It would be appropriate to elevate the Guru to the level of Jesus Christ and Buddha, as his teachings are tantamount to the level above the golden rule.

Let me again take the liberty to call the next parable of the Guru “The Two Oxen Cart”. This parable is about a capitalist and a labourer (Govindan and Sankaran respectively) who had serious disagreement on account of a wage dispute. They were unable to reconcile their differences and started arguing and fighting over the matter. Finally, they approached the Guru to resolve their dispute. The Guru as usual, asked them questions and gradually understood the basis of their dispute. Later on he asked both of them “Have you seen a two oxen driven cart? They answered ‘Yes’. Then he asked, “Is strength alone sufficient – if both oxen do not pull the cart with equal willingness, will the cart move forward?” They replied ‘No’. Guru then explained to them that the job they are doing is similar to that of the two oxen cart. When both of you do not co-operate and pull the cart with equal sincerity and force, he asked, will the cart move forward? They had to agree that the cart will not move forward and co- operation is required. Guru once again explained softly and with compassion that the work both of them were doing was in no way different from that of the oxen.

Then, he asked the capitalist Govindan – Have you not made the investment? If you keep your money in a safe, will it generate any income/ profit for you or your family? You need the assistance of experienced labourers to run your business successfully and to generate income. You should also realize that you and your family members lack the required experience and skills to physically do the job. Guru reminded him that he was able to generate income and profits and run a successful business, because of the contributions of his skilled worker. Guru asked him, whether it is fair to ignore the contribution made by Sankaran. The capitalist realized that he had been unfair to the labourer. Then Guru turned to the labourer Sankaran and asked him, ‘do you have the capital to invest in this business? If you had the money, probably you would have invested, but then you do not have the capital to invest.. Don’t you agree that this job you have today, enables you to meet your daily needs and support your family because of the capital invested by Govindan?. You should also remember that since the last three years, you are leading a comfortable life on account of your present job. If Govindan decides to shut down his business, will you not be put to inconvenience at least for a while, until you find alternate employment? Therefore, Guru asked Sankaran to be fair to the capitalist and do his part of the job. When he explained this logically to both of them, they realized that they should be fair to each other and quickly resolved their dispute and departed happily with the blessings of the Guru.


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This parable today, is most appropriate not only for Kerala but has a global relevance for resolving labour disputes. Unfortunately, Kerala today is unable to attract sufficient capital for new industries on account of the chronic labour disputes and recurring strikes. Investors are reluctant to start a new enterprise on account of their fear of possible disruptions in production, distribution, etc. as a result of possible labour problems and the consequent risk of losing the capital invested. At the same time, the investors should also be fair to the workers and should not deny them fair wages and benefits. The other side of the coin is, that the labourers should be willing to look at the contributions made by the employers and do their work fairly and sincerely, having gained an employment opportunity. Similarly, the employers should also recognize the genuine contributions made by the workers, which sustains their businesses and be fair to their genuine grievances. Unfortunately, the present situation in Kerala do not promote a conducive environment for economic growth. Both the employers and employees should heed the advice of the Guru and remember to apply the logic and guiding principles of the parable to resolve disputes with a fair and open mind. Recently, while speaking with one of my acquaintances, he mentioned he was unhappy with the serious labour problems he was facing in Kerala, where he has employed 200 labourers in an export based unit. The unhappy investor is now contemplating either to shut down the unit for good or relocate his plant and machinery to a neighbouring state, where labourers are more co-operative. It is my belief that this may not be an isolated situation. It would be worthwhile for both the employers and employees to take a moment to reflect upon the parable of Guru to resolve their disputes, regardless of whether in kerala or globally.


Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges with gratitude Dr.T.Bhaskaran for his valuable suggestions and my dear wife Sakhina, who proof read and typed this article.


Endnotes

[1] Sree Narayana Guru (1856 – 1928) was born in the south Indian state of Kerala, in the Ezhava/Thiya community, which constituted the largest segment of the population. On account of the caste system, this community was subjected to various oppressions under the evil caste apartheid. The Guru is not only considered a prophet but was also a social reformer and blessed poet divine extraordinaire. In 1888 he broke the monopoly of the upper caste and their dominance of the temples by consecrating the first temple for the low caste ezhavas and subsequently established about 100 temples in south India and Sri Lanka. He also started SNDP (Sree Narayan Dharama Paripalana Yogam) / SNDS (Sree Narayana Dharma Sangam Trust) organizations which established schools and colleges throughout the state, that led to the economic and social revival of this backward community. He has written over 70 poems and prose in three languages i.e. Malayalam, Sanskrit and Tamil for the spiritual enlightenment of mankind. He propagated the ideas “One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind”, “Freedom Through Knowledge”, “Which ever the Religion, it Suffices if it Makes a Better Person”. The teachings of the Guru has spread globally for the good of not only the Thiya/ Ezhava diaspora but for all humanity.